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Dr Sophie Carr

Head of Department

Department: Applied Sciences

Sophie Carr is Head of Department for Applied Science and the academic lead for employability within the University.  As Head of Department she leads the research, teaching and academic staff of this large department, covering a range of scientific disciplines including bioscience, chemistry, forensic science, food science and nutrition.  Sophie's research and teaching is centred on forensic science and expert evidence, with a particular focus on demonstrating reliability.  

Sophie has held several posts within Northumbria, leading the BSc Forensic Science programme before taking on the post of Programme Director for Chemistry and Forensic Science, overseeing the quality and direction of provision.  This was followed by appointment as Associate Head, before accepting her current position as Head of Department.

Before joing Northumbria, Sophie was a Senior Forensic Scientist with the Foernsic Science Service (FSS).  Her role was that of a scene attending scientist with expertise in the analysis and interpretation of bodyfluids and DNA, including blood pattern analysis.  The majority of her daily caseload involved the investigation of sexual, violent and major crimes from assaults to undetected murders. During that time she amassed experience providing statements and expert witnessevidence for criminal investigations at crown court.

 

Sophie Carr

Campus Address

City Campus, Northumberland Building



Demonstrating transparency and reliability of expert evidence.

  • Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
  • Demonstrating reliability through transparency: a scientific validity framework to assist scientists and lawyers in criminal proceedings, Carr, S., Piasecki, E., Gallop, A. 1 Mar 2020
  • Area of Freedom, Security and Justice and Forensic Science, Wilson, T., Carr, S. 4 Feb 2019, Brexit and Internal Security, UK, Palgrave Macmillan
  • Clarifying the ‘reliability’ continuum and testing its limits: biometric (fingerprint and DNA) expert evidence, Carr, S., Gallop, A., Piasecki, E., Tully, G., Wilson, T. 30 Nov 2018, Forensic Science Evidence and Expert Witness Testimony, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar
  • Demonstrating Reliability and Directing Scrutiny: a framework to assist scientists and lawyers, Piasecki, E., Carr, S., Tully, G., Gallop, A. 30 Aug 2018, 8th European Academy of Forensic Science Conference
  • Duties of the Expert Witness: R v Pabon [2018] EWCA Crim 420, Carr, S., Piasecki, E. 1 Apr 2018, In: The Journal of Criminal Law
  • Science Friction: Streamlined Forensic Reporting, Reliability and Justice, Edmond, G., Carr, S., Piasecki, E. 1 Dec 2018, In: Oxford Journal of Legal Studies
  • Opening the Scientific Experts Black Box: ‘Critical Trust’ as a Reformative Principle in Criminal Evidence, Carr, S., Piasecki, E., Tully, G., Wilson, T. Oct 2016, In: The Journal of Criminal Law
  • Written evidence from the NCECJS to the HoC Justice Committee: implications of Brexit for justice, Wilson, T., Stockdale, M., Jackson, A., Carr, S., Davies, G., Johnson, D., Piasecki, E. 29 Nov 2016
  • Fingerprint evidence- The Scottish Fingerprint Inquiry's ramifications for England and Wales -Part 1, Stockdale, M., Wortley, N., Carr, S. 28 Jan 2012, In: Criminal Law and Justice Weekly
  • Fingerprint evidence-The Scottish Fingerprint Inquiry's ramifications for England and Wales - Part 2, Stockdale, M., Wortley, N., Carr, S. Feb 2012, In: Criminal Law and Justice Weekly

Susan Carney-Gannon A qualitative review of attitudes and practices pertinent to Streamlined Forensic Reporting in the context of admissibility in a criminal trial, with a view to developing intelligible approaches to reporting forensic science findings Start Date: 01/10/2021

  • Law PhD September 01 2020
  • Science MSc September 01 1997
  • Applied Biology BSc (Hons) September 01 1993
  • Fellow (FHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2014


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